Dubspot Blog

Electronic Music Theory: Gamelan Music Techniques for Modern Music Composition

mnomusic — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:10 +0000

Dubspot contributor Michael Emenau investigates Indonesia’s gamelan music and explores how this form of music can inspire our own music productions.

In this article, I will take an approach similar to the one I used in Electronic Music Theory: Learning From Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5., in which I compared Beethoven’s 5^th symphony to NiT GRiT’s track “12 Gauge.” However, instead of analyzing two pieces of music, I will analyze compositional techniques used in gamelan music, and show how you might incorporate them into your own music.

WHAT IS GAMELAN MUSIC?

A gamelan is an Indonesian traditional musical ensemble. The term “gamelan” actually refers to a group of instruments, much in the way “orchestra” is used in the West to signify a combination of strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. In Indonesia, gamelan means a combination of metallophones, drums, gongs, zithers, and flutes. One major difference from western ensembles, however, is that each set of gamelan instruments is a unique entity, built and tuned to work together. The instruments usually can’t be switched between different ensembles.

There are two main styles of gamelan music: Javanese and Balinese. Javanese (and its offshoot, Sudanese) tends to be calm and meditative, while Balinese is more aggressive.

Although the above example may seem to be far removed from the music we make and listen to, much of the underlying structure is quite similar, while other aspects are conceptually foreign.

The functions of the instruments of the gamelan can be broken into three categories: Melody, Time, and Structure.

MELODY

Whether you’re listening to the Sex Pistols, Chinese Opera, or some obscure jungle track, melody is the part you sing along to. It can be a hook, a bass line, or even a distinct drum pattern. In gamelan music, the melody is often shared between different instruments. Usually, it is introduced by the flute (rebab) and then passed to the xylophones (gambang), zither (celempung), and sometimes voice. Sharing a melody between different instruments is common in many musical styles, but the reason for this in gamelan music is noteworthy. Most of the instruments have very limited ranges (usually a little over 1 octave), while the melodies often span 2-3 octaves. This forces the melody to move from instrument to instrument, continuously changing color and texture. Some of the instruments also have limited note choices. For example, an instrument called the pélog barang gender (a xylophone with metal bars) is missing one of the notes of its scale, so each time that note comes up in the melody, a different instrument must jump in to play that note.

In your productions, try assigning limited ranges to various instruments, or even challenging yourself with the “missing note” concept. Once you’ve identified the melody you want to work with, select several different instruments and split the melody between them. Define one octave (or less) per instrument, and as the melody rises and falls, the instrument will change. Or, assign individual notes to different instruments. For example, have the note “C” played by a monosynth, “D” by a horn stab, “E” a sound with a delay effect, and so on. These techniques can be implemented by programming your tracks according to the rules you create, or by using tools that allow you to automatically assign notes. For example, in Ableton Live’s, the Instrument Rack has a Zone editor which allows you to assign note ranges to different instruments.

OLD SCHOOL

TIME

The pulse of gamelan is provided by the interaction of the drums and the metal xylophones. The drums (kendand) are two-headed, with a low and a high pitch. This allows them to function similarly to a drum set (low pitch = bass drum, high pitch = snare). The drums are typically locked into a groove with the metal xylophones, which create fluid motion. Together, they provide the backbone you might create with a drum machine and an arpeggiated or step sequenced synth line.

Something unique about gamelan’s approach to time is how the groove, tempo, or instrumentation can change at the drop of a hat. Some thread of the previous section may remain, while everything else changes around it. For example, the melody may continue, but the pulse underneath it changes. The technique of dramatically changing tempo while retaining the other elements of a piece is very underutilized in western music. DJs often change groove when mixing from track to track, but generally the pulse stays the same.

Try this tempo change experiment on a track of your own. Somewhere in the middle of the piece, add an extra 16 empty measures for a “breakdown” section. Change the tempo in your sequencer to a value that is not a multiple of the original tempo. (For example, if the original tempo is 150 BPM, don’t choose 75 BPM.) Carry over a previously used melody into this section, and reprogram it at the new tempo. Change the groove, add new samples or sounds; make it a new unique section. By creating a breakdown with a tempo change, you’ll get vibe that is very different from most electronic music. It may sound cool and innovative, or it could sound completely insane! You may not get results you love the first time you try this, but that’s not the point. Changing your approach to making music will open your mind to new possibilities, and help to make you a better composer.

Now that’s my kind of gig!

STRUCTURE

The gong defines the structure of gamelan music. Pieces start and finish with the gong. It’s also used to signify repetitions in the melody, and introduce new sections. It’s the crash cymbal of gamelan!

When composing, try creating a special sound to introduce different parts of the track. Make it something unique and use it only for this purpose. The sound can morph over time, as long as its function and sonic fingerprint stays the same; it could almost be its own hook.

Let’s analyze this piece from a Javanese Orchestra.

0:00 – Intro melody is stated on flute.

0:25 – Melody is repeated twice on metal xylophone (at first it may be hard to recognize the xylophone and flute melody to be the same, but they are).

1:18 – A new tempo is introduced.

1:26 – Two xylophones patterns interplay. The right side is brighter and more active, but occasionally it drops notes which are filled in by the mellower xylophone in the left ear. In electronic music, this sort of effect is sometimes achieved by applying random panning effects to a sequenced pattern.

2:43 – The pulse is removed and the melody is repeated on flute. This creates contrast and tension before the drums come back with a heavier groove at 3:15, much like the breakdown in a dance track.

This final example is a Balinese gamelan ensemble. Stylistically it is more intense: there are repeated radical changes to the tempo and sonic colors. It’s as if there is a battle going on between the different instruments, in contrast to the more relaxed Javanese example above.

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Michael Emenau a.k.a. MNO has worked professionally as a musician (vibraphone, percussion, laptop), producer, remixer and arranger for 25 years, playing such diverse genres as, jazz, rock, drum’n’bass, salsa, techno, country, Hindustani, gospel, baroque and orchestral music. He has recorded on over 150 CDs, composed music for eight films, toured internationally, and lived on three continents. Michael was the house studio mallet percussionist for Sony Records (Japan) in the 90s, was a founding member of the award winning “Jazz Mafia” as well as working as a producer/remixer for Six Degrees Records in San Francisco, arranged and produced contemporary multimedia productions of the 16th-century composer Henry Purcell in Paris and is now writing a musical based on the life of Dionysus and dividing his time between Montreal and New York.

Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn musical language and theory, and make and play music the way you want. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the roots and lineage of a variety of electronic and dance music genres, strengthen their keyboard skills, and learn valuable music theory, deepening their creative practice and facilitating effective collaborations with musical partners.

The best producers, DJs, and musicians in the world strive to be well-rounded. So should you. In Dubspot’s Music Foundations Program, you’ll explore three major aspects of music: rhythmic theory, melodic theory, and critical listening.

Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn musical language and theory, and make and play music the way you want.

What’s Included:

Music Foundations Level 1: Pads & Rhythmic Theory
Music Foundations Level 2: Keys & Melodic Theory
Music Foundations Level 3: Electronic Music Appreciation

This course exceeded my expectations. I went through everything I needed to have a solid knowledge of basic music theory.
- Jonathan Crespo, Miami

MF has been an amazing experience! I didn’t realize I was going to learn so much about electronic music history, something my generation missed.
- Yianno Koumi, United Kingdom

NYC COURSES
Morning Class: June 18, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:15am-1pm
Evening Classes: August 28, 2013; Wednesdays and Fridays, 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: June 2, 2013; Sundays, 1:00-7pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Clive Chin: The Lost Archives of 17 North Parade Pt 3 – Classic Jamaican Reggae + Dub Recovered!

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:01 +0000

Dubspot is proud to present Clive Chin: The Lost Archives of 17 North Parade, a new original three-part series which details the history and discovery of previously unknown and unreleased recordings by many of reggae’s greatest stars during the heyday of ska and early reggae.

In case you missed the previous videos within this series, check out parts one and two.

In the final episode of Clive Chin: The Lost Archives, the legendary Jamaican dub, reggae, and ska producer and Brooklyn-based engineer and producer Billy “Prince Polo” Szeflinski of The Kennel talk about the process of restoring, cataloging, archiving and digitizing hundreds of hours of music recorded by Clive and his late father Vincent “Randy” Chin at 17 North Parade in Kingston during the heyday of Jamaican reggae, ska, and dub music.

Among the hundreds of tapes which lay undisturbed for nearly 40 years were recordings by many of Jamaica’s greatest stars including Max Romeo, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Alton Ellis, Jimmy London, The Gladiators, The African Brothers, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Lord Creator, U-Roy, and Tommy McCook.

Clive explains how they recorded the music back in the late 1960s and ’70s, the recording technology and production process, and Prince Polo talks about mixing and remixing the recordings using vintage equipment as well as modern music technology to add new vocals and instruments to the tracks, many of which were unfinished instrumentals.

Clive Chin Prince Polo plan to release release the newly restored and mastered recordings from 17 North Page soon. Stay tuned tuned to Dubspot for more!

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Catch Dubspot’s Visual Performance Course Designers Glowing Pictures @ EDC NY + Download Free VDMX Pack!

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:31:05 +0000

Dubspot Visual Performance course designers Benton-C Bainbridge and V Owen Bush of Glowing Pictures have released a new performance pack for VDMX, and the duo will be performing at the upcoming EDC festival in New York.

Conception Performance Pack for VDMX

Dubspot Visual Performance course designers Benton-C Bainbridge and V Owen Bush (aka Glowing Pictures) have just released “Conception,” a new visual performance pack that they were contracted to create for Vidvox’s VDMX software. This download offers “a free set of creative commons licensed video clips from GLOWING PICTURES for use in VDMX and other Visual Performance applications.” You can download the performance pack here and you can check out the visuals below (note the fantastic soundtrack by Dubspot’s Professor Nalepa.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Vidvox’s VDMX software is a powerful tool for creating motion graphics and visual performance. The program offers a modular system of tools that allow you to integrate multiple types of media into a custom performance workflow.

“VDMX can provide any solution we can think of for visual performance and installation,” explains V Owen Bush. “If the solution isn’t already built into VDMX, you can bring in input from other applications, video inputs, webpages, MIDI, DMX or OSC control, or build your own effects in Quartz Composer, and route them all through VDMX to the display. So VDMX is usually the only tool we need for live visual interaction and it’s always the hub of any video project.”

Glowing Pictures @ EDC NY

Benton-C Bainbridge and V Owen Bush will also be performing this weekend at the EDC NY event where they will be performing live visuals on the Neon Garden stage. “For EDC we’ll be working with Vello and Peter from V Squared Labs. On Friday I will be assisting Vello on the main stage and on Saturday Glowing Pictures will do visuals for the “neon garden” stage all day & night,” Explains Bainbridge.

Dubspot’s Visual Performance Program

In Dubspot’s Visual Performance Program you will learn the basics of performing, producing and manipulating visual content. In this program, you’ll work with a toolkit of the latest software (including Vidvox VDMX, Quartz Composer and Adobe After Effects) and create your own setup to do visuals at live shows. You’ll develop your creative vision through hands-on practice producing and performing.

Dubspot’s Visual Performance curriculum was designed by V Owen Bush and Benton-C Bainbridge of Glowing Pictures, a company they founded together in 2004. Bush and Bainbridge are pioneers of live visual performance, with an extensive list of collaborators and credits including work with the Beastie Boys, Pauline Oliveros, Animal Collective, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Grace Jones, Kanye West, and Moby, to name a few. They have presented their work across five continents, at venues like the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, the American Museum of Natural History, SFMOMA, the Mercat des les Flors (Barcelona), LUX2006 (Sevilla), Auditorium Parco della Musica (Roma), Sonic Light (Amsterdam), Wien Modern (Vienna), Inventionen (Berlin), and the Teatro Colón CETC (Buenos Aires). Over the years they have innovated and helped to develop tools and techniques for visual performance, collaborating with the software design company Vidvox LLC to develop live video software including VDMX, the central application used in the course.

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Video: Hands-on Electronic Music Theory! Dubspot Music Foundations Course Preview + Students Reviews

Ishmael — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:41:19 +0000

In this video, Dubspot instructor and course designer Martín Perna is joined by Max Wild and Iris Salis to discuss our three level Music Foundations program which is currently available in our school in New York City and Dubspot Online. This program provides the best possible start to the newcomer in electronic music and provides a foundation for understanding music that can be applied to all aspects of music creation.

Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn musical language and theory, and make and play music the way you want.

What’s Included:

Music Foundations Level 1: Pads & Rhythmic Theory
Music Foundations Level 2: Keys & Melodic Theory
Music Foundations Level 3: Electronic Music Appreciation

This course exceeded my expectations. I went through everything I needed to have a solid knowledge of basic music theory.
- Jonathan Crespo, Miami

MF has been an amazing experience! I didn’t realize I was going to learn so much about electronic music history, something my generation missed.
- Yianno Koumi, United Kingdom

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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3 Max for Live Devices to Add Visuals to Your Performance: Ganz Graf Mod X, Vizzable 2, MotionMod

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:20:28 +0000

Dubspot guest blogger Josh Spoon rounds up three useful Max for Live devices that bring dynamic visuals to your Ableton Live performance.

Max for Live is a programming environment that allows developers to create instruments, effects, and all sorts of utilities for Ableton Live. Originally introduced as an add-on for Live 8, Max for Live is now included with Live 9 Suite. Since I’ve been performing a lot lately, I’ve been downloading various Max for Live devices to enhance my shows with visuals. Here’s are a few that I’ve found recently. They’re great, easy to use, and free!

Ganz Graf Mod X

Ganz Graf Mod X, developed by Synnack, is a simple reactive video generator that works within Live. It reacts to audio and can be put on any track, though the Master track is best. With just a few parameters, you can set and manipulate shapes, alter their color and position, and determine how much they move in space. I would not say it replaces a VJ, but if you don’t have one, it’s a quick and easy way to enhance your live performance. Invest three minutes playing with Ganz Graf Mod X, and you’ll wow people at your next local show.

VIZZable 2

VIZZable 2 is a modular VJ suite containing over 20 devices for real-time manipulation of live or prerecorded video. Multiple layers of video can be mixed and processed with effects to create rich collages. I particularly enjoy the dirtyfeedr and fisheye modules. VIZZable 2 has been rebuilt from the ground up so the devices run on your computer’s GPU (which is optimized for graphics) instead of the CPU, resulting in much faster performance.

Zeal did a great job on this suite. Don’t underestimate it–it’s probably powerful enough to create an entire music video. It must have taken an enormous amount of work to complete VIZZable 2, so if you enjoy it, make a donation!

MotionMod 1.0

MotionMod 1.0, also developed by Zeal, is a motion detector device. It’s driven by your webcam and can be mapped to any parameter in your Live Set. This can be used in many situations. For example, let’s say you hop around a lot during your set. With MotionMod, your hops and head bobs can make changes to an effect. It has an adjustable threshold and a few other parameters that allow you to determine if the changes are subtle or extreme.

Dubspot guest blogger Josh Spoon is an Ableton Live veteran, blogger, drummer, music producer and live performer. Josh has a residency with the eclectic Los Angeles electronic music collective Space Circus, performing every first Wednesday of the month, and just released his first concept EP of grooving low-end originals entitled Man on Mars.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Dubspot’s New Ableton Live 9 Producer Program is Here! New Curriculum, New Videos, Student Spotlight

Michael Walsh — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:25:16 +0000

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Traktor DJ for iPad Tutorial Pt 3 w/ Endo: iTunes, Dropbox, and Metadata Sync!

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:16:23 +0000

In the third and final installment of this video tutorial series, we bring to a close our exploration of Native Instruments Traktor DJ for iPad. Within the video, Dubspot instructor Mike Henderson (a.k.a. Endo) sheds light on one particularly powerful new feature you’ll find within both Traktor DJ and Traktor Pro 2.6.1: Metadata Sync. This powerful function enables the automatic synchronization of metadata across your entire track collection; including tempo, cue points, loops, key information, etc – a massive timesaver for all of you iOS-based Traktor DJs! Just in case you missed the previous tutorials within this series, check out what’s on offer within parts one and two.

The ability to sync your Traktor track collection with your main Traktor computer via Dropbox is one of my favorite features in Traktor Pro 2.6.1, sharing track info including cue points, beatgrids and BPM/key information. This opens up the possibility of doing a lot of the prep work for a performance (beatgridding tracks, setting cue points, etc.) on the iPad’s inviting touchscreen and then syncing your work with your main computer before the gig. Head over here to read my full overview of Traktor DJ. – Endo

Mike Henderson a.k.a. Endo is a Dubspot DJ course designer/instructor and Native Instruments product specialist, for more info check out www.djendo.com.

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJs, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college teachers were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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‘The Tempest’ Analog Drum Machine + Ableton Live – MIDI Sync / Audio Routing Tutorial w/ Kiva

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:57:55 +0000

In this video tutorial, Dubspot Instructor DJ Kiva explores the creative possibilities of midi sync and audio routing between Dave Smith Instruments’ Tempest drum instrument and Ableton Live.

The Dave Smith Instruments Tempest is an analog drum machine that was created by two of the top minds in the industry: Dave Smith and Roger Linn. Together they have developed an instrument that takes the traditional drum machine into new realms of sound and control. While exploring the instrument in our studios, Dubspot Ableton instructor DJ Kiva recorded this tutorial in which he syncs the Tempest with Ableton Live and records the Tempest’s multiple outputs as individual audio tracks in Ableton. To finish off the session Kiva plays back the recorded parts and adds his own custom delays through send channels in Ableton Live.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

What’s Included:

Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Reggie Watts Dubspot Interview @ SXSW Talks Music Technology, Live Performance, Comedy!

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:13:59 +0000

While visiting SXSW in Austin, TX earlier this year, the Dubspot team got a chance to talk with the unpredictable and brilliant comedian / musician Roger Watts, better known as Reggie Watts, about his creative process, influences, performance tools, music technology, JASH, and much more!

We caught up with the brilliant performance artist Reggie Watts at South by Southwest 2013 for an interview in which he talks about his creative process, musical influences, and his less is more approach to performance tools and music technology. During his performance at The Austin Museum of Modern Art, Reggie Watts shifted between stream of consciousness stand-up comedy to live, improvisational compositions using a limited analog-based performance setup which includes some guitar pedals and loop samplers. Though it all, he remained funny and spontaneous, making the performance up as he went along. After the performance, he talked to us his performance rig and the benefits of using tactile analog tools for creation. He also told us about JASH, a comedy network and collective he formed with Michael Cera, Tim & Eric, and Sarah Silverman.

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Moombahton! The Rise of a Dancefloor Riddim w/ Dave Nada, DJ Sabo, Computo +

racheldixon — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:53:45 +0000

Dubspot blogger Rachel Dixon investigates the rise in popularity of moombahton music, a sound that continues to thrive with an open mind to influence and a focus on the dance floor.

While many dance music genres have emerged over the last several years, moombahton is one that is still heating up dance floors and earbuds at a steady pace. Recently, I quipped that the sound was becoming so ubiquitous that you couldn’t walk into a retail store without hearing those drums. Those drums! While I may have been exaggerating, there’s no denying that moombahton is more than a passing trend.

As a sound grows and expands past its initial buzz, it’s hard to know where it begins and ends. Like most, I know moombahton based only on what I’ve heard. But I don’t want to be just another hanger-on, so I set out to find what sets the genre apart, where it’s headed, and who the most influential players are in the game today.

Dave Nada and the Creation of the Moombahton sound

In case you missed it, the “Moombah” in moombahton references the song of the same name by Silvio Ecomo & Chuckie. The moombahton creation story begins with DJ Dave Nada slowing down the Afrojack remix of this tune. Nada was booked to play at a reggaeton party with only EDM tracks in his arsenal, so he slowed “Moombah” down from 128 to 108 BPM to make the transition into a more house-focused set, and the kids at the party went nuts. A few months later, Nada released an official remix of “Moombah,” and a genre was born.

Check out the original Afrojack remix of Moombah, then give a listen to Nada’s version:

Dem Bow – The Riddim

The drum syncopation in the slowed-down version sounded a great deal like the riddim (drum pattern) found in reggaeton tracks. This beat is called “Dem Bow” (or “dembow”), after the hugely popular Shabba Ranks track of the same name. Familiar to anyone who has heard reggaeton or dancehall, this riddim is also the backbone of moombahton.

Moombahton may have the riddim of reggaeton, but it borrows some of its instumentation from house music and grime. When I asked DJ Sabo, moombahton DJ and producer, about its other defining characteristics, he said the genre is not defined strictly by its tempo, drum pattern and synth lines.

“Not having specific ‘rules’ is what makes it so great,” says Sabo. “You can pull from any musical and cultural influence and use that to make a moombahton record. Either it has the moombahton vibe or it doesn’t. I think it’s amazing because there really are no rules other than the general BPM be around 108 – 110. People are making tracks that use influences from all types of music – latin, afro, disco, techno, house, rave, dubstep, soul, funk, reggae and more – and that’s what makes it exciting. I think it’s these various interpretations of the genre that will keep it fresh and help it to grow.”

So, where is this genre headed? When Diplo releases a moombahton record to the masses, is the genre over or is it just beginning? While the Dem Bow backbone and house music influences continue to shine through, artists are becoming increasingly creative with vocals, basslines, and song structure. Dubspot instructor and moombhaton producer Joe Caputo (aka Computo) thinks that the genre has expanded in many different directions quickly because “it developed in real time internationally, thanks to the web. It’s really the first global genre, because everyone who was aware of that global community was being influenced by each other.”

Some of the artists DJ Sabo recommends are:

Munchi:

Gent & Jawns and Nadastrom

Boyfriend

Disgraceland

Craze

As with all forms of dance music, moombahton is best experienced with other people, dancing. If these new sounds catch your attention, Sabo is throwing a moombahton party at Output, Thursday, May 16. Details are here. See you there.

Dubspot blogger Rachel Dixon was a Handel and Haydn Vocal Apprentice, studied at New England Conservatory, briefly sang lead vocals for the Phoenix punk band Scrimshaw, managed the guestlist at Boston nightclubs Avalon and Axis, and was on the design team for the Dance Central video game franchise. She is a published fiction writer, bedroom songwriter, and poet who lives in New York City with her dog.

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Logic Tutorial: Programming Trap Beat Patterns Using Ultrabeat + MIDI Controller (2 of 3) w/ Shadetek

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:16:26 +0000

Dubspot instructor and course designer Matt Shadetek returns with another episode of Secret Knowledge, our video tutorial series of production tips, techniques, and advice for Logic users. In the second video, Shadetek continues his tutorial on creating trap beat patterns using Apple’s Logic Pro.

In this second video tutorial on trap drum programming we’re going to explore MIDI processing in Logic’s environment to control the hi hats in our pattern. We’ll be using Logic’s transformer object in the environment to split each MIDI note apart and process them separately in Logic’s environment. Once the notes are split apart, we will then send those signals to different arpeggiator objects which are set to different patterns. This will allow us to hold down one note to play a 1/16th note hihat roll and another note to play 1/32nd notes. We’re also going to add similar processing for the snares and aslo add pitch control via the modulation wheel on your MIDI controller. – Matt Shadetek

Matt Shadetek is a DJ, producer and teacher based in Brooklyn, New York. He runs the Dutty Artz label with DJ /Rupture. His second solo album The Empire Never Ended is out now. Hear his music at mattshadetek.com.

For further exploration of Logic check out Dubspot’s six-level Logic Pro Producer program, designed by Matt Shadetek:

Master Logic with our complete program of courses culminating in a four-track EP ready for release. In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Logic you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro. After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, and a scored commercial to widen your scope.

What’s Included

Logic Pro Level 1: Shake Hands with Logic
Logic Pro Level 2: Completing Your First Track
Logic Pro Level 3: Mixing Essentials
Logic Pro Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
Logic Pro Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
Logic Pro Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

Music Production with Logic Pro classes just started; sign-up today!

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DJ Shiftee vs Lil’ Shiftee! Analysis of Shiftee’s Traktor Kontrol Z2 Routine for Native Instruments

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:15:02 +0000

In this video, DJ Shiftee breaks down his incredible Traktor Kontrol Z2 routine for Native Instruments with assistance from his microscopic homie, Lil’ Shiftee. Together they get up close and personal for an analysis of the performance and the hardware.

Dubspot’s Shiftee and his tiny friend Lil Shiftee break down the Traktor Kontrol Z2 performance routine for Native Instruments and take us through the features of the Z2 mixer and some of the functions that were used in his routine. Shiftee offers an overview of the Z2 mixer including the MIDI control features which offers intuitive and tactile surfaces where he can trigger samples in the the Remix Decks, hit cue points, and access effects comfortably. Big Shiftee is also using Maschine to control the same Remix Decks and cue points set up on the Z2.

Big Shiftee is a generous man. He’s made his Maschine MKII mapping available for free download on Facebook.

We sat down with Shiftee for a chat on his process in putting together the routine and how he used the Z2 mixer and Maschine.

So, how did you approach this new routine?

I wanted to make use of the Z2’s features to explore creative possibilities otherwise impossible. Elements like pad placement for easy cue point + sample use, the magical FLUX mode, and joining pad stuff with turntablist techniques all come into play. After that, it was just about trying to make everything sound cool and cohesive.

How long did it take you to prepare?

I started making the routine about a week before filming, putting in at least five hours a day.

What are your favorite functions of the Z2 mixer?

I love the layout. Nothing is too cluttered and the pad placement is perfect. I love having pads so close to the records, because it allows you to combine turntablism and controllerism in new ways. FLUX mode opens up a lot of interesting performance tricks. The crossfader is also smooth like butter or, better yet, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, a product underrated for its smoothness. Fabio was its spokesman for crying out loud!

In the video, it seems like you are hitting pads which trigger samples via Maschine while filtering with a knob on the mixer, can you tell us how you have mapped the mixer? Maschine?

For the Maschine, I custom mapped two main layouts for different sections of the routine. Sometimes I’m controlling samples, sometimes cue points, and sometimes both at the same damn time. Shout out to Future. I just used the default mapping for the mixer. In the part you’re describing, I’m actually using one of Traktor’s new Macro FX (“Event Horizon”) to achieve a robust alteration of the sound via a single knob. Meanwhile, I’m triggering cue points AND samples with my left hand via one of my custom mappings. The color coding options on the new Maschine are very helpful.

Do you plan on incorporating the Z2 in your solo sets as well as Mostly Robot?

Yes, I’ve actually started bringing it on the road to all my gigs. Makes perfect sense for Mostly Robot too with its easy MIDI OUT capabilities.

Any new projects you want to tell us about?

I just had a single and mix come out with Badman Shark on Slit Jockey Records. The single is “EKG Riddim” and the mix is called Time To Die. Evil grime vibes. Then I have a collab EP dropping in January with Rx on the most patriotic label in the universe Hot Mom USA. Meanwhile remixes coming soon for Seclusiasis and Chaungo Records. Also be on the lookout for Vol. 2 of my mixtape project with Elijah (Butterz) called UK Meets USA (listen to Vol. 1 here), which we will be touring in 2013. All about that GRIME.

What were your top 3 favorite shows you played this year?

1. Mostly Robot – Sonar Barcelona. So fun, like summer camp. The first one was probably the most fun since we weren’t sure we could pull things off. Plus there was lots of gazpacho. 2. Comfort 13, Tel Aviv w/ Dismantle. Crazy crowd, crazy club, amazing city. 3. Ogden Theater, Denver w/ Cookie Monsta. Denver is one of my favorite cities to play in, open-minded crowds + the promoter there, Nicole from Sub.Mission, is awesome.

What is one important thing you learned this year about DJing or being on the road so often?

Being in a band is way different than doing solo gigs. People are counting on you, and seemingly simple things like soundcheck become way more involved. I also learned a lot about Justin Bieber from watching the movie Never Say Never on one of my many flights.

What’s going on in the last minute or so when you are swiping the pads on Maschine and the F1?

At the end, I’m using 100% samples. The Z2 and the Maschine are controlling the same sounds, but on Maschine I can change the playback mode between “latch” and “gate” via my custom mapping. My left hand is playing drum samples while my right hand plays musical notes. Plus, it looks cooler to move back and forth. Plus plus, I need exercise.

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

What’s Included

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Dubspot Announces New Ableton Live 9 Producer Program – New Curriculum, New Videos +

Chris Petti — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:17:46 +0000

Dubspot is proud to present a new and improved Ableton Live program updated for Live 9, covering all of its latest features in a six-level, 48-class course on electronic music production.

Introducing Our New Ableton Live Program w/ Live 9

Music technology moves pretty fast, and here at Dubspot we’re committed to bringing you the best possible electronic music education and incorporating the latest cutting-edge technologies. As part of this commitment, it is with great pleasure that we are now announcing our all-new Ableton Live program at Dubspot, completely updated for Live 9!

Ableton has been hard at work over the past four years building upon and expanding all the great things that you have come to know and love about Live, and Dubspot has built a new program to help you learn it. We have taken the great feedback from our community to improve our Ableton program and make it even better.

Live 9 brings many great new things to the table such as Session Automation, Max for Live (standard in Suite), a new and improved Browser, Audio to MIDI conversion, updates to many of Live’s built-in Devices and the addition of some new ones, new editing functions for MIDI and audio, 64-bit support, SoundCloud support and more. All of these new features and functions are covered in our new program along with many new tools and technologies to help you thru your musical journey in our six-level 48-class course.

New Courses Start June 1 at Dubspot NYC

Our new Live 9 curriculum will go into effect at our physical school in New York City starting on June 1st and will be introduced online shortly thereafter. Some of the major highlights of this new program include:

• All students will now be provided with a custom audio library courtesy of our new partner Loopmasters. Students will also be provided with a discount for purchases from the Loopmasters catalog and their sister site Plug-in Boutique. The pack is loaded with loops in a variety of current electronic music styles, one-shot drum samples, and construction kits. The purpose is to provide you with all the materials that you may need during your studies.

• Project files provided for every class that you take in the program. We all lead busy lives and sometimes details escape us. Now, you will be able to see and explore what the ultimate goal of each class should be.

We hope that you are all as excited about this as we are, and that the next steps on your electronic musical journey will include some time with Dubspot.

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Dubspot DJ / Producer EDU Sessions @ Movement Festival, Detroit – Youthville

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:08:39 +0000

On Saturday May 25, 2013, we are proud to join Movement Festival in Detroit for a weekend long celebration of electronic music including the Dubspot EDU Sessions with special guests Mike Huckaby (Tresor / S Y N T H / Deep Transportation), Thomas Faulds (Ableton), Justin James (m_nus), and Matt Cellitti (Dubspot).

Dubspot EDU Sessions @ Youthville, Detroit

The legendary Movement Electronic Music Festival is about to erupt in Detroit once again and Dubspot will be on-hand to deliver educational workshops, demonstrations, and performances during our visit to Motor City. There will be five free workshops available on Saturday May 25, 2013 at Youthville in Detroit taught by special guests Mike Huckaby (Tresor / S Y N T H / Deep Transportation), Thomas Faulds (Ableton), Justin James (m_nus), and Dubspot’s own Matt Cellitti.

11-11:45am Ableton Push 101 & Demonstration // Thomas Faulds [Ableton] & Justin James [m-nus]
12:00-12:45pm Sound Design & Synthesis Techniques w/ Komplete 9 // Matt Cellitti
1:00-1:45pm Creative Production Strategies w/ Maschine // Mike Huckaby
2:00-2:45pm Audio To MIDI Conversion w/ Ableton Live 9 // Matt Cellitti
3:00-3:45pm House Music Production w/ Ableton Live 9 // Mike Huckaby

RSVP TO OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE HERE.

Dubspot @ Movement, Detroit

While you’re at the Movement Festival at Hart Plaza, come check out our booth at the Movement technology area to see out some of the newest music technology, software, and hardware. Instructors and the admissions team will be available for Q&A sessions and support. Learn a bit about music production in between sets!

Over the past decade DEMF / Movement has become one of the United States’ premier electronic music festivals, with each year’s lineup hand-picked with the hardcore electronic music enthusiast in mind. And while the festival’s roots lie in techno, the music policy at Movement continues to evolve and embrace artists who are pushing the boundaries of dance music in new directions. Each year aims to be better than the last, and Paxahau’s 2013 Movement experience offers a huge lineup of talent including Masters at Work, Moodymann, Andy C, Mala, Richie Hawtin, Silent Servant, The Bug and many more. And while the lineup seems to be getting bigger each year, the real appeal of this event is the midwestern hospitality: everyone in the city seems to be celebrating at festival time, and last year the mayor of Detroit publicly announced the week of the festival as “Detroit Techno Week.” A beautiful location at Hart Plaza and really reasonable prices for a weekend of top-notch entertainment keep bringing us back for Movement. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at Movement’s website.

YouthVille Detroit

Regardless of age, level of education, sophistication, whether from the city, suburb or farm, people are amazed when they first walk into YouthVille Detroit. In a few short years, it has become a landmark of hope and pride for the city of Detroit, the region and the state. It is a destination point for youth needing a safe and nurturing place to have fun, dream, learn, and participate.

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Dubspot Original Programming: ‘Paul vs Paul’ Pt 6 – Loudness War, Beatboxing, DJing +

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:57:07 +0000

Dubspot Original Series presents Paul vs. Paul – a series of humorous father and son debates about pop culture, lifestyle, and music production. In the latest episode the duo debate topics such as the loudness war, beatboxing, pick-up lines, basketball, and choosing the right glasses to complement your style and personality – proscription not required.

In this video series, legendary hip hop producer and music icon Prince Paul is joined by his son and music partner DJ Pforreal to address the important issue of new school vs. old school. The duo address important topics such as the increasing loudness in sound recordings and call for producers and engineers to please turn it down – more dynamics! They also talk about beatboxing (from the original Human Beat Boxer Doug E. Fresh and the The Diabolical Biz Markie to Rzhzel the Godfather of Noyze), counting BPMs, pick-up lines, basketball, and choosing the right glasses to complement your style and personality.

This is the sixth video in an ongoing series created to accompany the release of Prince Paul and DJ Pforreal’s Negroes on Ice album, currently available online and in stores.

Prince Paul (Paul Huston) is a legend in the world of hip hop who was originally part of the early 80s rap outfit Stetsasonic and later went on to create the iconic sounds of early De La Soul albums, the Gravediggaz project (with RZA), Handsome Boy Modeling School (with Dan the Automator), as well as a series of solo albums. As a collaborative guru for music production, Paul has worked with great musicians from almost every genre including Alec Empire, Linkin Park, Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and Parliament keyboardist Bernie Worrell (to name just a few). Prince Paul’s calling card on almost all his productions is an intelligent (yet sometimes silly) sense of humor that sits right behind the boom-bap beats that have made his music so popular.

Paul’s most recent collaborator is none other than his son, DJ Pforreal, a young performer who has obviously inherited his father’s sense of humor as well as a knack for beat creation and lyrical delivery. Their initial project together, Negroes on Ice, is a comedy / music album that blends music and storytelling into a “hilarious, head-nodding listening experience.” In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Prince Paul explains that much of the album comes from stories that his son would tell him when he was a child. “He would come up with these outrageous things that I knew (weren’t) true, but I couldn’t get mad at him because they were just so dumb. And I knew he was lying, but he would just go on and on about it to where it would start to become entertaining.” When asked about the format of combining music and comedy together, Paul explained further. “If you’ve ever watched Adult Swim, it’s very bizarre and antic and makes you scratch your head, like, ‘What is this silly thing?’ But this is actually put into a story.”

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Traktor DJ for iPad Tutorial Pt 2 w/ Endo: EQ, Effects + Tools for Creating Live Remixes!

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:40:10 +0000

In the second installment of this three-part video tutorial looking at Native Instruments Traktor DJ for iPad, Dubspot instructor Mike Henderson a.k.a. Endo looks at the EQ section, filters, effects, and a some hidden and advanced functions you can use for enhancing buildups, breakdowns, transitions, create live remixes, and much more! He also explains and demonstrates some of the creative possibilities of DJing with a touchscreen interface. Check out part one here, and stay tuned for the concluding third part.

I’m impressed with how Native Instruments have adapted Traktor’s design to take advantage of the touchscreen interface of the iPad, and they’ve also added in some new features that even go beyond what Traktor Pro can do on Mac OS/Windows. The best example of this is how the whole interface has been designed around the two parallel waveform displays, allowing you to control playback by directly touching the waveforms on the screen! This is a more useful approach than the typical “spinning platter”-style interface offered by many other iOS DJ apps, and controlling the tracks directly on the screen gives a much different feeling than DJing on a laptop and controlling your tracks with keyboard commands or a MIDI controller. Head over here to read my full overview of Traktor DJ. – Endo

Mike Henderson a.k.a. Endo is a Dubspot DJ course designer/instructor and Native Instruments product specialist, for more info check out www.djendo.com.

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

What’s Included

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Clive Chin: Augustus Pablo’s Java – The Lost Archives of 17 North Parade Pt 2 – Queens to the Kennel

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:16:40 +0000

In the second installment of Clive Chin: The Lost Archives, we sit down with Clive and dub producer/engineer Billy “Prince Polo” Szeflinski of The Kennel recording studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The two of them talk about digitizing and cataloguing hundreds of hours of music recorded by Clive Chin and his late father Vincent “Randy” Chin from 1968 to 1978, the heyday of Jamaican reggae, ska, and dub music. Among the hundreds of tapes which lay undisturbed for nearly 40 years were recordings by many of Jamaica’s greatest stars including Max Romeo, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Alton Ellis, Jimmy London, The Gladiators, The African Brothers, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Lord Creator, U-Roy, and Tommy McCook.

Clive Chin also talks about producing Augustus Pablo’s 1971 hit “Java” at Randy’s Studio in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. “Java” became an international sensation with its Eastern motif played on the melodica. The former classmates followed the hit single with a debut album from Augustus Pablo titled This Is Augustus Pablo in 1972.

Stay tuned for the third and final installment in which Prince Polo talks about remixing the recordings, as well as adding new vocals and instruments to the tracks, many of which were unfinished instrumentals.

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Dubspot Student Spotlight! Jubilee, DJ Berlin, Fame Cohen, Nick Bohme, Lauren Plevy

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:29:28 +0000

This month’s installment of Dubspot Student Spotlight features an exciting array of up and coming DJ/producers and talented artists. Throughout this series, our goal is to shed some light on the exceptional DJs and producers emerging out of Dubspot’s front door. Our latest roundup includes: DJ Berlin, Jubilee, Lauren Plevy, Fame Cohen and Nick Bohme.

DJ Berlin // Turkey

DJ Berlin (Belgin Ugursu) was born and raised in the magnificent European city of Istanbul, Turkey. Exhibiting musical talent from an early age, Belgin spent much of her high school and university years performing live as both a guitarist and a vocalist. Eventually, these musical experiences bloomed and facilitated Belgin’s work as a composer of polyphonic ringtones for mobile phones. An interest in live looping and performance led Belgin to develop a live show, for which she has been dubbed a “one-woman orchestra.” Back in Turkey, DJ Berlin has since been featured within various TV shows and magazines.

In October 2012, DJ Berlin won second place in the Roland Corporation’s BOSS Loop Station World Championship Contest in Los Angeles. Belgin is currently enrolled in our DJ/Producer Program in New York City, and is developing a unique and exciting live looping performance – a show which she hopes to debut soon!

“I’ve learned so much in the DJ classes at Dubspot. I feel totally comfortable DJing. The teachers are the best DJs I have ever seen, and they teach you everything; you become very familiar with your DJ gear and equipment, and you’ll be able to solve problems and troubleshoot. I’ve also learned some unique transition techniques. I feel like I am in good hands, and I totally get in to music so i can not stop it .” – DJ Berlin

Jubilee // Brooklyn via Miami

Brooklyn-via-Miami DJ/producer Jubilee (Jess Gentile) is one of many active figures in New York City’s ever-shifting electronic dance music landscape. Over the last few years, Jubilee has built a reputation for serving up her DJ sets at nightclubs and warehouse parties around the globe, and with a style defined as ranging from bass-heavy electro and sweaty tropical jams to UK grime, house, techno, party rap, r&b and more.

Jubilee has teamed up with Mixpak’s label boss, Dre Skull, with whom she has created the party: Mixpak Extended Play. In addition, Jess also hosts her own weekly radio shows: Brooklyn Radio’s “Fireworks” and Radio Lily’s Mixpak showcase.

As if she wasn’t busy enough, Jubilee has steadily increased her music production workload. Last year saw the release of her Pop It! EP on Mixpak, and she recently dropped a collaborative record with partner-in-crime Star Eyes on the Unknown to the Unknown imprint. Throw in remixes for Canblaster, Hydraulix, Creep and Zuzuka Poderosa, and it should be easy to understand why Jubilee is quickly becoming one of her scene’s go-to producers.

“Dubspot really helped me challenge myself and expand my music journey.” – Jubilee

Lauren Plevy // New York City

New York City-based artist Lauren Plevy recently completed both our DJ Extensive Program and Music Production with Ableton Live Program, all the while studying classical piano. Currently, Lauren is spending much of her creative time practicing piano and refining her productions; ultimately, her goal is “to make music that moves the soul.”

“I was immediately welcomed and accepted at Dubspot as a fellow artist, which gave me the confidence within months to start DJing in clubs and to begin producing my own music. I formed personal connections with all of my teachers and my classmates became like family.” – Lauren Plevy

Fame Cohen // New York City

Fame Cohen has recently emerged as one of New York City’s notable female DJ talents. While performing at venues ranging from NYC’s club scene to charity and private events, her sets span across the genres of house, electro, pop and hip hop. Fame likes to employ an open-format approach in her DJ sets, and by doing so she is able to read the crowd and deliver the sounds that keep everyone dancing.

In the winter of 2012, Fame was one of Polar Lounge’s resident DJs, whereupon she launched her own party: Club House Wednesdays. So far in 2013, she has held three residencies in NYC: Tammany Hall, Nouveau and The Dollhouse Urban Burlesque.

Fame’s talent and tenacity have led her to share the stage with a handful of music legends, such as The Roots’ Questlove and Pras from The Fugees. Fame Cohen is currently signed with the CEG talent agency.

“When I decided to DJ I was 26 years old, everyone said I was too old to start learning, so I signed up for the 3 month DJ course and by the time I completed the course I was spinning live in some of the city’s hottest clubs. I can safely say Dubspot was the reason, I was amongst the DJs that truly knew Serato inside and out, I was ready for any obstacles the club presented. Years after I completed my course I still have a great relationship with my instructors at Dubspot and they are always there to help me out if any issues arise such as needing massive speakers for outdoor gigs lol. I am currently enrolled in the Music Production with Ableton Live. The instructors are extremely thorough and helpful. Dubspot was hands down my secret weapon for conquering the DJ scene in NYC.” – Fame Cohen

Nick Bohme // New York City

By the age of 16, New York City-based DJ/producer Nick Bohme was rocking parties with an array of musical styles ranging from techno and deep house to freestyle and hip hop. These days, Nick combines various influences to create his original music productions, and also to perform his DJ sets at nightclubs around the five boroughs, as well as for his own event: Midnight Disco Society.

Nick recently completed our Music Production with Ableton Live course, and can currently be found diligently developing and refining his sound – he likes to maintain a positive mindset and believes that “all good things will come to those who wait, but work hard for it.”

“There’s no other place on earth better for music production than Dubspot. Took me from A to Z in just 3 months. Went in knowing nothing, came out knowing everything (almost). An unbelievable experience I will never forget and hope to be back in the near future. – Nick Bohme

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Sound System Culture In New York City – From Dub to Techno and Beyond

Mike Steyels — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:21:30 +0000

Dubspot contributor Mike Styels gives us the low down on some of the best electronic music sound systems in New York City, including Tower of Sound and Tsunami Bass.

It was like a ghost had passed through me. It might not have been the holy ghost, but it was something of an awakening: I could feel the music and understand it as I never had before. It resonated physically in my body while fine details sparkled with full clarity. This wasn’t a revelation helped along by popular drugs. It was sound being presented as it’s meant to be heard: on a quality system, maintained and operated by skilled professionals, and played by a knowledgeable DJ.

Finding good sound can be a real challenge in New York. The city has a history of great-sounding rooms, from the Paradise Garage and Sound Factory to Twilo and Love. But compared to scenes in Europe, things can seem downright anemic. A partygoer is often stuck between an affordable night at a space with horrible sound, or getting stuck with a scary bill at a place that’s easy on the ears.

“NYC lacks proper clubs that have good sound systems and really care about the music. And most of them are reluctant to book acts that are doing something new or on the fringe, but don’t necessarily bring in the bucks,” says Brenmar, a Brooklyn-based DJ and producer.

Q from Sound Liberation Front shares a similar sentiment, so he built a mobile sound system called the Tower Of Sound to open people’s ears to quality sound without emptying their pockets. “I’m really keen on using it for block parties,” says Q,” because the heart of sound system culture is this idea of providing sound and entertainment for the community, so you don’t have to go to a club and pay a big cover and buy high priced drinks to enjoy music the way it’s supposed to be experienced.”

However, building a Tower is not financially viable for most. The $20,000 to $30,000 it took to build came from his personal savings, and recouping those costs was never a part of his plan.

The Tsunami Bass sound system is another local rig built as a love project. Its creators spent their life savings on it and are nowhere near making back their money through rentals and parties. But they’d like to, and they express frustration with promoters who spend thousands on big name headliners but won’t pay extra for high quality sound. “It’s [totally idiotic] how much most promoters pay for headliners but then skimp on sound,” fumes Shizaru Zoe.

New York is an expensive place. Cielo, which has a top-ranked system installed, struggles to balance a love for music with the need to appeal to the bottle service crowd that pervades their neighborhood. District 36, whose sound was put together by the late Gary Stuart (known for Love and Zouk’s sound), recently shuttered its doors.

Some people see a renewed value being placed on sound, despite these challenges. Praveen Sharma from Sepalcure notes that many venues opened over the past decade were primarily rock oriented and didn’t see the need to invest in good sound. Fortunately, he thinks that’s beginning to change. “The arrival of new spaces focused on sound, like Output and TBA, are forcing other Brooklyn venues to upgrade their own sound or face the harsh reality of losing their bookings,” says Sharma. In Queens, System Dance Club has some of the most highly regarded sound in New York, built by Systems by Shorty.

It should be noted, however, that it’s not just the gear that’s important, but also the people running it. “I’ve heard a $10,000 sound system sound amazing…and a $100,000 rig sound [terrible],” points out Morphous from Tsunami Bass. When running his system, he monitors and tweaks it all night.

DJs are accountable as well. “It’s just staggering how many DJs will drive the mixers into the red,” Funktion One’s Tony Andrews explained to Resident Advisor. “If you drive them into them red…How can I put this? The whole thing’s [ruined] before you even start!”

So how can we encourage more venues with a wider range of tastes and price points to step up their sound game? “The enthusiasts need to speak up,” says Tsunami’s Zoe (sound sytem for Reconstruvct, Dub War and others). “Demand quality sound from promoters!”

Artists can also demand quality sound in their riders, adds Greenpoint Sound’s Jake Lewis. The best approach is to focus on details instead of brand. For example, artists should require a system that covers a specific frequency and decibel range. They should also demand that the speakers be set up to play well with the room’s acoustics, and that a qualified engineer be present to operate the system.

“If it sounds really good and the show is really bumping,” says Lewis, “nobody’s looking at speaker labels.”

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Logic Tutorial: MIDI Drum Programming + Trap Beat Patterns (Pt 1 of 3) w/ Shadetek

admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:38:27 +0000

Dubspot instructor and course designer Matt Shadetek returns with another episode of Secret Knowledge, our video tutorial series of production tips, techniques and advice for Logic users. In the first installment of this three-part video tutorial, Shadetek looks at some different ways to create trap drum parts, especially rolls and fills, live with a MIDI controller.

Southern hip hop has long been one of my favorite styles of music and with the recent explosion in popularity of the new trap-influenced sounds I thought this might be a cool occasion to share some advanced techniques for programming these patterns in a more live style. In this tutorial we’re going to build a drum kit and Logic project which will help us to create these types of patterns using a MIDI controller instead of having to draw them in with a mouse. To do this we’re going to build out some MIDI processing in Logic’s Environment to split apart the different notes we’re playing and apply different MIDI processing to them. We’re going to use an arpeggiator to play hi hat rolls at different speeds depending on which note we play, and do the same thing for snares. We’re also going to create a mapped multi-instrument that pulls multiple sound sources together into a single instrument we can play from one MIDI controller.

In this first video in the series we’ll look at building the kit in Ultrabeat using samples from the Lex Luger drum kit. We’ll also create the first hi hat arpeggiation using a transformer and arpeggiator in Logic’s environment. – Matt Shadetek

For further exploration of Logic check out Dubspot’s six-level Logic Pro Producer program, designed by Matt Shadetek:

What’s Included

Logic Pro Level 1: Shake Hands with Logic
Logic Pro Level 2: Completing Your First Track
Logic Pro Level 3: Mixing Essentials
Logic Pro Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
Logic Pro Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
Logic Pro Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

Music Production with Logic Pro classes just started; sign-up today!

The week of April 29th in NYC – Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri – 10:15-am-1:00pm
The week of April 21st DUBSPOT ONLINE

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